Disney’s Zootopia snatches the top spot at the box office from Marvel’s holdover Deadpool – debuting with a stellar $73.7 million from 3,827 theaters in North America.
“There’s an absence of competition,” said Dave Hollis, Disney’s distribution chief. “We are set up to have a big, big run.”
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The animated tale is about a rabbit police officer (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) who partners up with a fox conman (Jason Bateman) to solve a crime that has the city’s lion mayor (J.K. Simmons) concerned.
Zootopia scored the title for the top showing ever for Disney Animation Studios (besting 2013’s Frozen with $67.4 million) and the top March opening for an animated title (besting 2012’s Dr. Suess’ The Lorax with $70.2 million). It also ranks as the fourth largest March opening weekend in history, behind The Hunger Games ($152.5 million) and two Disney live-action titles, Alice in Wonderland ($116.1 million) and Oz The Great and Powerful ($79.1 million).
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“This is a huge debut; families flocked to Zootopia,” says Paul Dergarabedian, box office analyst for comScore. “There hasn’t been much family fare in the marketplace in the last few months, and that audience needed this film. Kung Fu Panda 3 benefited from that need, and now it’s Zootopia‘s turn in a big way.”
The film received an outstanding 98 percent “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and an A CinemaScore from moviegoers.
Falling in second place is Gerard Butler’s weekend newcomer London Has Fallen with $21.7 million from 3,490 theaters, much less than his 2013’s original Secret Service mission Olympus Has Fallen ($30.4 million debut). Audience members were primarily men (60 percent) and over the age of 25 (76 percent).
“We’re really pleased with the opening and we think we’re going to leg out well from here,” said Jim Orr, Focus’ distribution chief. “That older demographic doesn’t necessarily rush out on opening weekend.”
Moviegoers gave London Has Fallen an A-minus CinemaScore, while critics gave it a lousy 25 percent “fresh’” score on Rotten Tomatoes.
In its fourth weekend at the box office, Ryan Reynold’s superhero pic Deadpool took third place with $16.4 million. The R-Rated Marvel film has accumulated a total of $311 million since its record-breaking Valentine’s weekend debut of $135 million.
The weekend’s final new wide release includes Tina Fey’s Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, which landed in fourth place with $7.6 million from 2,374 theaters. The comedy, about a journalist who is sent to Afghanistan, scored a 60 percent “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and a B CinemaScore from moviegoers, who were primarily female (56 percent).
“Tina Fey is a very well-known, very respected person. But she’s not a movie star,” says Scott Mendelson, box office analyst for Forbes. “People don’t go out to see a movie just because Tina Fey is in it.”
Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is based on journalist Kim Barker’s memoir, The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Alongside Fey, Margot Robbie, Martin Freeman and Alfred Molina also star in the movie.
Rounding out the top five is Gerard Butler’s other feature in Gods of Egypt, which took in $5 million in its second weekend, for a box office total of $22.8 million.
Top 10 Films at Weekend Box Office: March 4-6
- Zootopia — $73.7 million
- London Has Fallen — $21.7 million
- Deadpool — $16.4 million
- Whiskey Tango Foxtrot — $7.6 million
- Gods Of Egypt — $5.0 million
- Risen — $3.9 million
- Kung Fu Panda 3 — $3.5 million
- The Revenant — $3.3 million
- Eddie The Eagle — $3.1 million
- The Witch — $2.5 million
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